Process for separating and simultaneously extracting water from mineral, vegetable, and animal substances.



No. 892,188. I P'ATENTED JUNE 30, I908. H B. scnwmm. PROCESS FOR SEPARATING AND {SIMULTANEOUSLY EXTRAGTING WATER PROM MINERAL, VEGETA BLE, AND ANIMAL SUBSTANGES.

' APPLIOAIIION FILED APE. 30,1907.

imme/sow UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BOTHO SCHWERIN, OF FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO FARBWERKE I VORM/MEISTER LUCIUS & BRUNING, OF HGCHST-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY, A CORPORA- TION OF GERMANY.

PROCESS FOR SE PARATING AND' SHIULTANEQUSLY .EX'IRAGTING WATER FROM MINERAL, VEGETABLE, AND ANIMAL SUBSTANCES.

mieeanss.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BorHo doctor of laws and chemist, a citizen of the Em ire of Germany, and residing at Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Separating and Simultaneously Extracting Water from Mineral, Vegetable,

and Animal Substances, of which the-followferently.

In a mixture of particles of a different nature, for instance of different individualities, such as sand, clay, chalk, or of particles of diflerent physical pro erties, such as granular particles and colloida particles, the particles are deposited more or less quickly at the electrode, or when they have no electro-osmotic properties, they do not deposit at the electrode at all. When, for instance, a mixture of sand and clay be subjected to the aforesaid process, the'clay alone will deposit at the electrode, whereas the electro-osmotically indifferent sand remains in the liquid. If the clay contains coarse particles as well as very fine ones, the finest particles will de osit first andthen the coarser ones. .I a e use of this property for se arating the different particles from each ot er, while simultaneously eliminating the water.

In he accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical transverse section of tracting water from non-conductmg sub;

' series of tanks,.and Fi verse section of a mo v The process may be carried-out,for.1n-

one form of apparatus for separating and exst-ances, Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sec tion of another form of apparatus showing a 3 1s a vertical transed form of apparatus.

stance, as follows: A metallic vessel, which servesflitself as-the electrode, generally the cathode towards which the water passes, contains the solid particles suspended in water.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application flled April so, 1907. Serial No. 371,171.

Patented June 30, 1908.

In this mixture, the other electrode is im- SGHWERIN,

mersed and may be'surrounded by an intervening partition or screen of pervious non conducting material, as shown in Fig. 3, to avoid an electrolytical action on the solid particles. When the current is closed, the mixture is agitated by a rotary stirrer. The finest particles are deposited first at the anode or at. the intervening partition in a condition comparatively free from Water; the

process is interrupted, when the fine particles have been deposited for the greater'part, whereupon they are separated mechanically from the particles remaining in suspension in the Water in the vessel. The water is then again subjected to electro-osmotic treatment and the coarser particles are deposited by this operation; The process may be continued until all particles, whichtravel electro-osmotically 1n the same direction, are

removed. The electrodes may also be placed in a vessel ortank, as shown in Fig. 1, one at the bottom, the other being at the top and rotated by suitable mechanism. The process may-also be carried out with advantage by causing the mixture to pass through a series of tanks in such a manner that only the finest particles are obtained in the first tank and the coarser particles in the subsequent tanks, as shown in Fig. 2.

It is known that it is best to carry out levigatin methods in as diluted a suspension as possib e, for in denser mixtures the coarser particles, like sand, retained in the dense fluid, cannot be deposited. In the case of dense mixtures, the process according to the invention, is conducted in a vessel of noneonducting material. The a ode is arranged as aforesaid, whereas the cathode consists of wire-netting, or erforated sheet-metal or the like, surrounding the anode at a suitable distance. When the circuit is closed, and

are outside the cathode must pass through the meshes or perforations of the cathode on their way to the anode. 'When the body which is to be so arated deposits at the cath ode, the electro es are to be arranged in such a Way that the cathode is surrounded by the perforated anode in the manner above de the mixture stirred, the solid particles which whereby the solid particles gradually pass through the holes of the perforated electrode and arrivedn' the space between the two poles; on their way to this space the particles have to pass through the Water surround ing the perforated electrode; they have to pass a zone, which always contains very few solid particles only, allowing the coarser particles to separate there from the finer ones. The process occurs otherwise exactly as described above.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

1. In an electrolytic process for separating and simultaneously extracting water from non-conducting vegetable, animal and mineral substances by means of electro-osmosis,

the step of causing the suspended solid par-ticlesto be deposited fractionally.

2. 'In an electrolytic process for separating and simultaneously extracting water from non-conducting vegetable, animal and mineral substances by means of electro-osmosis, the step of causing the suspended solid particles to deposit fractionally on non-conducting pervious diaphragmsplaced before the electro de.

3. In an electrolytic process for separating and simultaneously extracting water from non-conducting vegetable, animal and mineral substances by means of electro-osmosis, the step of causing the suspended solid particles to deposit fractionally by assing the liquid containing said particles t 011 h a series of apparatus in which they are subjected to electro-osmosis.

4. In an electrolytic process for separating and simultaneously extracting water from non-conducting vegetable, animal and mineral substances by means of electro-osmosis, the step of causing the suspended solid particles to deposit fractionally on non-conduct ing pervious diaphragms placed before the electrodes and passin the liquid containing the suspended partic es through a series of apparatus in which they are subjected to e ectro-osmosis.

5. In an electrolytic process for separating and simultaneously extracting water from non-conducting vegetable, animal and mineral substances by means of 'electro-osmosis,

the step of causing the suspended solid particles to deposit fractionally on non-conducting pervious diaphragms placed before the V electrode to which they are conducted by the electric current by passing them on their way to this electrode through the liquid retained at the other electrode.

7. In an electrolytic process for separating and simultaneously extracting water from non-conducting vegetable, animal and mineral substances byrmeans of electro-osmosis, the step of causing the suspended solid particles to deposit fractionally by passing them on their way to the electrode, w ere they are to 'be separated and de osited, through the .liquid retained at the ot er electrode in such a way that the electrode, which retains the water, being perforated, surrounds completely the other electrode as far as it is immersed into the liquid.

8. In an electrolytic process for separating and simultaneously extracting water from non-conducting vegetable, animaland mineral substances by means of electro-osmosis, the step of causing the suspended solid particles to deposit fractionally on non-conducting pervious diaphragms placed before the electrode, to whichthey are conducted by the electric current, by passing them on their Way to the electrode, where they are to be separated and deposited, through-the liquid retained at the other electrode in such a way that the electrode, which retains the water, being perforated, surrounds completely the other electrode as faras it is immersed into the liquid.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name inpresence of two subscribin' witnesses.

BOTH5 SOHWERIN. Witnesses:

JEAN GBUND, CARL GRUND'. 

